Northwestern OCI 2015 Forum

[cookiejar1]

What are considered the top 5 DC firms? Do they all come to NU?

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... sRankID=15
a&p doesnt, skadden @ 6 doesnt either for their DC office but mass mail them both.

you best be having a 3.9 (LR helpful) if you be talkin bout these firms though and that may not even be enough for the top 5 DCs.

when you bid the district of columbia, you win or you die.
-cersei lannister

The vault survey does not represent the best of anything

The Vault DC rankings is a decent proxy for the top 5 biggest DC firms.

[cookiejar1]

How fast do the NY offices of Kirkland and Sidley go? They have so many interview slots in Chicago + other cities that it seems like the NY offices will still be available a bit later.

Also, for firms that have a set number of interview slots for multiple offices (e.g. Gibson Dunn has 20 slots for 8 offices), do these tend to be more popular because they appeal to students looking at multiple cities?

1) Sorry, can't answer this one - I don't know. I'd imagine they'd go later but K&E NYC and Sidley NYC aren't grade sensitive and so you can expect them to go before Davis Polk, for example.

2) GDC goes faaaaast - yeah, it really sucks that GDC LA people have to compete with GDC DC people when bidding on that office for OCI.

[Anonymous User]

What are considered the top 5 DC firms? Do they all come to NU?

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... sRankID=15
a&p doesnt, skadden @ 6 doesnt either for their DC office but mass mail them both.

you best be having a 3.9 (LR helpful) if you be talkin bout these firms though and that may not even be enough for the top 5 DCs.

when you bid the district of columbia, you win or you die.
-cersei lannister

The vault survey does not represent the best of anything

The Vault DC rankings is a decent proxy for the top 5 biggest DC firms.

3L working in DC Here:

For DC, I cannot emphasize enough just how irrelevant the Vault rankings should be to your decisionmaking. Unlike in NYC, where the V10 or so is largely a ranking -- by prestige-- of firms that do roughly the same thing, the Vault ranking in DC captures offices that have really, really different mixes of practices.

So for example: if you wanted to be a generalist litigator, you would not want to go to Covington, whose practice focuses overwhelmingly on insurance recovery and IP lit. If you wanted to do environmental (lit or regulatory), you would not want to go to WIlmerHale, which has like, two partners in DC doing environmental work. If you wanted to work with a serious appellate group, you would not want to go to WIlliams & Connolly, which has one partner doing appeals. If you want to do litigation that isn't white-collar, securities, or Antitrust, you should probably stay away from Latham. If you're interested in regulatory work in a particular industry or subject-matter space, be aware that every firm has strong practices before some agencies and weak practices before others.. These are all great offices, all plenty preftigious, but you will have a *very* different mix of work available to you at each one. And that mix of work, and the mix of clients, will shape your government or in-house exit options.

Most offices in DC do not offer a general, full-spectrum practice of law, or even a general, full-spectrum litigation or regulatory practice. Specialization is the name of the game, and that's something Vault just flat-out does not capture.

[furrrman]

What are considered the top 5 DC firms? Do they all come to NU?

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... sRankID=15
a&p doesnt, skadden @ 6 doesnt either for their DC office but mass mail them both.

you best be having a 3.9 (LR helpful) if you be talkin bout these firms though and that may not even be enough for the top 5 DCs.

when you bid the district of columbia, you win or you die.
-cersei lannister

The vault survey does not represent the best of anything

The Vault DC rankings is a decent proxy for the top 5 biggest DC firms.

3L working in DC Here:

For DC, I cannot emphasize enough just how irrelevant the Vault rankings should be to your decisionmaking. Unlike in NYC, where the V10 or so is largely a ranking -- by prestige-- of firms that do roughly the same thing, the Vault ranking in DC captures offices that have really, really different mixes of practices.

So for example: if you wanted to be a generalist litigator, you would not want to go to Covington, whose practice focuses overwhelmingly on insurance recovery and IP lit. If you wanted to do environmental (lit or regulatory), you would not want to go to WIlmerHale, which has like, two partners in DC doing environmental work. If you wanted to work with a serious appellate group, you would not want to go to WIlliams & Connolly, which has one partner doing appeals. If you want to do litigation that isn't white-collar, securities, or Antitrust, you should probably stay away from Latham. If you're interested in regulatory work in a particular industry or subject-matter space, be aware that every firm has strong practices before some agencies and weak practices before others.. These are all great offices, all plenty preftigious, but you will have a *very* different mix of work available to you at each one. And that mix of work, and the mix of clients, will shape your government or in-house exit options.

Most offices in DC do not offer a general, full-spectrum practice of law, or even a general, full-spectrum litigation or regulatory practice. Specialization is the name of the game, and that's something Vault just flat-out does not capture.

Thanks for this. Any insight on resources that explain what lit practices different DC firms specialize in?

[Anonymous User]

Quick 3L OCI question: do we also need to scrub our GPA from our resume just like last year?

Also: what the hell, some firms have one (1) 3L interview slot. It's tough out there.

[Anonymous User]

any advice on less-selective (not auto-reject) LA firms?

GPA: 3.35 / strong ties to the market / transactional

[Anonymous User]

Quick 3L OCI question: do we also need to scrub our GPA from our resume just like last year?

Also: what the hell, some firms have one (1) 3L interview slot. It's tough out there.

Re: GPA - Yes. Bring transcript.

Re: being tough - yes, brace yourself. Not impossible to pull off -- I know 7 rising 3Ls who did it last year -- but don't rely on 3LOLCI. Mass mail.

[Anonymous User]

3.29. Anything I would be better off cutting completely? Should I bid less Chi if I want to grab all of the NYC firms in my top 20?

1 Kaye Scholer LLP New York 20
2 Dentons US LLP Chicago 11
3 Bryan Cave LLP Chicago 20
4 Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz PC Chicago 20
5 Foley & Lardner LLP New York 20 ***
6 Locke Lord Bissel & Liddell LLP Chicago 20 ***
7 Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Chicago 31 ***
8 schiff hardin llp Chicago 80 ***
9 Proskauer New York 20
10 dykema gossett pllc Chicago 20

11 Alston & Bird LLP New York 20 ***
12 Reed Smith LLP New York 20 ***
13 Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP New York 40
14 Dechert LLP New York 20 ***
15 katten muchin rosenman llp Chicago 40
16 Pircher Nichols & Meeks Chicago 20
17 Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP New York 60
18 Shearman & Sterling LLP New York 40
19 Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP New York 40
20 White & Case LLP New York 20

21 Cahill Gordon & Reindel New York 20
22 Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP New York 40
23 McDermott Will & Emory LLP Chicago 80
24 Morrison & Foerster LLP New York 20 ***
25 Dorsey & Whitney LLP Denver/Minn 20 ***
26 Perkins Coie LLP Seattle 20
27 Quarles & Brady LLP Chicago 20 ***
28 duane morris llp Chicago 20
29 O'Melveny & Myers LLP New York 20 ***
30 Baker & McKenzie LLP New York 20 ***

31 Seward & Kissel LLP New York 20
32 Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP New York 20 ***
33 Allen & Overy LLP New York 20 ***
34 Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP New York 40
35 sidley austin llp New York 20
36 Chapman & Cutler LLP Chicago 20
37 Faegre Baker Daniels Chicago 9
38 mcguirewoods LLP Chicago 20
39 Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Chicago 20
40 Varnum Riddering Schmidt & Howlett LLP Grand Rapids 20

*** Multi-office slots.

[zugzwanger]

3.29. Anything I would be better off cutting completely? Should I bid less Chi if I want to grab all of the NYC firms in my top 20?

1 Kaye Scholer LLP New York 20
2 Dentons US LLP Chicago 11
3 Bryan Cave LLP Chicago 20
4 Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz PC Chicago 20
5 Foley & Lardner LLP New York 20 ***
6 Locke Lord Bissel & Liddell LLP Chicago 20 ***
7 Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Chicago 31 ***
8 Schiff Hardin LLP Chicago 80 ***
9 Proskauer New York 20
10 Dykema Gossett PLLC Chicago 20

11 Alston & Bird LLP New York 20 ***
12 Reed Smith LLP New York 20 ***
13 Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP New York 40
14 Dechert LLP New York 20 ***
15 Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Chicago 40
16 Pircher Nichols & Meeks Chicago 20
17 Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP New York 60
18 Shearman & Sterling LLP New York 40
19 Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP New York 40
20 White & Case LLP New York 20

21 Cahill Gordon & Reindel New York 20
22 Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP New York 40
23 McDermott Will & Emory LLP Chicago 80
24 Morrison & Foerster LLP New York 20 ***
25 Dorsey & Whitney LLP Denver/Minn 20 ***
26 Perkins Coie LLP Seattle 20
27 Quarles & Brady LLP Chicago 20 ***
28 Duane Morris LLP Chicago 20
29 O'Melveny & Myers LLP New York 20 ***
30 Baker & McKenzie LLP New York 20 ***

31 Seward & Kissel LLP New York 20
32 Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP New York 20 ***
33 Allen & Overy LLP New York 20 ***
34 Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP New York 40
35 Sidley Austin LLP New York 20
36 Chapman & Cutler LLP Chicago 20
37 Faegre Baker Daniels Chicago 9
38 McGuirewoods LLP Chicago 20
39 Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Chicago 20
40 Varnum Riddering Schmidt & Howlett LLP Grand Rapids 20

*** Multi-office slots.

I would suggest with your GPA to go all-in NYC or very close to all-in: most of the Chicago firms you are ranking highly have lax GPA requirements, but also take very few people. If I recall correctly, many of the firms in NYC attainable with your GPA will be taking far more people.

Also, unless you have great work experience I wouldn't bit Schiff. Their interview process is pretty intense now and is tailored to those with good work experience.

[Anonymous User]

3.3x, targeting only Chicago (I know, I know), any insight? I tried to mix some lower gpa firms with firms I thought would go fast in my top 10 which might be stupid. Criticism greatly appreciated.

Dentons
Quarles & Brady
mcguirewoods
Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Dykema Gosset
Foley Lardner
Schiff Hardin
Kirkland & Ellis
Faegre Baker Daniels
Chapman & Cutler
Barack Ferrazzano Kirshbaum & Nagleberg
K&L Gates
McDermott Will & Emery
Paul Hastings
Dechert
Mayer Brown
Pircher Nichols & Meeks
Reed Smith
Clark Hill
Ropes & Grey
Polsinelli
Taft Stettinus & Hollister
Thompson Coburn
Baker & McKenzie
DLA Piper
Nicholaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan
Locke Lorde Bissel & Liddel
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Jones Day
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
Jenner & Block
Morgan Lewis & Blockius
Winston & Strawn
Sidley Austin
Greenberg Traurig
Shook Hardy & Bacon
Perkins Coie
Eimer Stahl
Holland & Knight LLP

[Anonymous User]

updating my bidlist. transfer student, 3.52 --> don't know how this would be calculated at NU but it was 20-25% at old school (T1)
all chicago unless otherwise noted; want transactional; mayer and mcdermott not on since i have interviews with them elsewhere; latham and skadden not on since it seems a waste of a bid with my gpa and i already have too many reaches in top 10

1 Baker & Mckenzie 20
2 Katten 40
3 White & Case (NY) 20
4 Proskauer (NY) 20
5 Sidley 80
6 Jones Day 40
7 Chapman 20
8 Winston 60
9 Davis Polk (NY) 20
10 Kirkland 80
11 Vedder Price 20
12 Milbank Tweed (NY) 40
13 Fried Frank (NY) 40
14 Shearman (NY) 40
15 Weil (NY) 60
16 Schiff Hardin 80
17 Paul Hastings (NY) 20
18 Simpson Thatcher (NY) 40
19 Vinson & Elkins (NY) 20
20 Schulte (NY) 20
21 Cadwalader (NY) 40
22 Paul Weiss (NY) 40
23 Kaye Scholer (NY) 20
24 Foley 20
25 Thompson Coburn 20
26 Dykema 20
27 Seward & Kissel (NY) 20
28 Wilson Sonsini (NY) 40
29 Wilkie Farr (NY) 40
30 O'Melveny (LA) 20
31 Michael Best 20
32 Pircher Nichols 20
33 Bryan Cave 20
34 Cleary (NY) 40
35 Cravath (NY) 36
36 Wilmerhale (NY) 20
37 SullCrom (NY) 40
38 Faegre (IN) 4
39 Taft 11
40 Skadden (LA) 20

i have no idea what to do with my bids 20-40 so i tried to put in unpopular/very selective/different region. i also researched pretty hard the 2014/13 threads and tried to bid accordingly. please critique hard. i don't get offended so be honest

[tstudent2015]

updating my bidlist. transfer student, 3.52 --> don't know how this would be calculated at NU but it was 20-25% at old school (T1)
all chicago unless otherwise noted; want transactional; mayer and mcdermott not on since i have interviews with them elsewhere; latham and skadden not on since it seems a waste of a bid with my gpa and i already have too many reaches in top 10

1 Baker & Mckenzie 20
2 Katten 40
3 White & Case (NY) 20
4 Proskauer (NY) 20
5 Sidley 80
6 Jones Day 40
7 Chapman 20
8 Winston 60
9 Davis Polk (NY) 20
10 Kirkland 80
11 Vedder Price 20
12 Milbank Tweed (NY) 40
13 Fried Frank (NY) 40
14 Shearman (NY) 40
15 Weil (NY) 60
16 Schiff Hardin 80
17 Paul Hastings (NY) 20
18 Simpson Thatcher (NY) 40
19 Vinson & Elkins (NY) 20
20 Schulte (NY) 20
21 Cadwalader (NY) 40
22 Paul Weiss (NY) 40
23 Kaye Scholer (NY) 20
24 Foley 20
25 Thompson Coburn 20
26 Dykema 20
27 Seward & Kissel (NY) 20
28 Wilson Sonsini (NY) 40
29 Wilkie Farr (NY) 40
30 O'Melveny (LA) 20
31 Michael Best 20
32 Pircher Nichols 20
33 Bryan Cave 20
34 Cleary (NY) 40
35 Cravath (NY) 36
36 Wilmerhale (NY) 20
37 SullCrom (NY) 40
38 Faegre (IN) 4
39 Taft 11
40 Skadden (LA) 20

i have no idea what to do with my bids 20-40 so i tried to put in unpopular/very selective/different region. i also researched pretty hard the 2014/13 threads and tried to bid accordingly. please critique hard. i don't get offended so be honest

Also a transfer student. Can you PM me?

[Cobretti]

Another really helpful data point is the summer class size at the offices you're bidding. You can get it off nalpdirectory. Especially with the lesser known firms that Chicago median necessitates targeting it can be important to know who takes 10 versus 1. If you can infer offer rates that should inform your decision substantially too.

[Anonymous User]

3.7, transactional, want Chicago but open to NY. Anything stick out?

1. Sidley
2. Kirkland
3. Katten
4. Mayer
5. Latham
6. Baker & McKenzie
7. Milbank NY
8. Gibson Dunn NY
9. Weil NY
10. Paul Weiss NY
11. Greenberg
12. Morgan Lewis
13. Cahill NY
14. Davis Polk NY
15. Winston Strawn
16. Perkins Coi
17. McDermott
18. McGuire
19. Schiff
20. Drinker
21. Shearman NY
22. Proskauer NY
23. Fried Frank NY
24. Holland/Knight NY
25. Seyfarth

[R1chardParker]

updating my bidlist. transfer student, 3.52 --> don't know how this would be calculated at NU but it was 20-25% at old school (T1)
all chicago unless otherwise noted; want transactional; mayer and mcdermott not on since i have interviews with them elsewhere; latham and skadden not on since it seems a waste of a bid with my gpa and i already have too many reaches in top 10

1 Baker & Mckenzie 20
2 Katten 40
3 White & Case (NY) 20
4 Proskauer (NY) 20
5 Sidley 80
6 Jones Day 40
7 Chapman 20
8 Winston 60
9 Davis Polk (NY) 20
10 Kirkland 80
11 Vedder Price 20
12 Milbank Tweed (NY) 40
13 Fried Frank (NY) 40
14 Shearman (NY) 40
15 Weil (NY) 60
16 Schiff Hardin 80
17 Paul Hastings (NY) 20
18 Simpson Thatcher (NY) 40
19 Vinson & Elkins (NY) 20
20 Schulte (NY) 20
21 Cadwalader (NY) 40
22 Paul Weiss (NY) 40
23 Kaye Scholer (NY) 20
24 Foley 20
25 Thompson Coburn 20
26 Dykema 20
27 Seward & Kissel (NY) 20
28 Wilson Sonsini (NY) 40
29 Wilkie Farr (NY) 40
30 O'Melveny (LA) 20
31 Michael Best 20
32 Pircher Nichols 20
33 Bryan Cave 20
34 Cleary (NY) 40
35 Cravath (NY) 36
36 Wilmerhale (NY) 20
37 SullCrom (NY) 40
38 Faegre (IN) 4
39 Taft 11
40 Skadden (LA) 20

i have no idea what to do with my bids 20-40 so i tried to put in unpopular/very selective/different region. i also researched pretty hard the 2014/13 threads and tried to bid accordingly. please critique hard. i don't get offended so be honest

Don't know if you have a good enough shot at Davis Polk to have it so high, and they can likely be picked up much lower in the lottery. Where is Cahill? They should be in your wheelhouse as they hire a lot of summers and are transactional focused. Not sure if you have a chance at getting interviews with firms like Cadwalader, Kaye, Wilkie, etc. where you bid them - I'd move them up above some of the higher GPA firms that you may get later in the lottery. Good luck!

[R1chardParker]

3.7, transactional, want Chicago but open to NY. Anything stick out?

1. Sidley
2. Kirkland
3. Katten
4. Mayer
5. Latham
6. Baker & McKenzie
7. Milbank NY
8. Gibson Dunn NY
9. Weil NY
10. Paul Weiss NY
11. Greenberg
12. Morgan Lewis
13. Cahill NY
14. Davis Polk NY
15. Winston Strawn
16. Perkins Coi
17. McDermott
18. McGuire
19. Schiff
20. Drinker
21. Shearman NY
22. Proskauer NY
23. Fried Frank NY
24. Holland/Knight NY
25. Seyfarth

Looks pretty good! I don't have access to the latest callback GPA data, but I'd think you have a good shot @ firms like Cleary, Simpson, Cravath, and S&C that are not on your list. They all have huge classes that they need to fill and are great firms for transactional. Your success rate for your bids will likely drop off a cliff after #14 above - I'd think about adding some/all of the big NYC firms with decently high GPA requirements (if you are above the min. callback GPA from the OCI list) but with big classes there.

[moneyball026]

3.7, transactional, want Chicago but open to NY. Anything stick out?

1. Sidley
2. Kirkland
3. Katten
4. Mayer
5. Latham
6. Baker & McKenzie
7. Milbank NY
8. Gibson Dunn NY
9. Weil NY
10. Paul Weiss NY
11. Greenberg
12. Morgan Lewis
13. Cahill NY
14. Davis Polk NY
15. Winston Strawn
16. Perkins Coi
17. McDermott
18. McGuire
19. Schiff
20. Drinker
21. Shearman NY
22. Proskauer NY
23. Fried Frank NY
24. Holland/Knight NY
25. Seyfarth

Looks pretty good! I don't have access to the latest callback GPA data, but I'd think you have a good shot @ firms like Cleary, Simpson, Cravath, and S&C that are not on your list. They all have huge classes that they need to fill and are great firms for transactional. Your success rate for your bids will likely drop off a cliff after #14 above - I'd think about adding some/all of the big NYC firms with decently high GPA requirements (if you are above the min. callback GPA from the OCI list) but with big classes there.

i'd bid a little more aggressively on the Ny front - i agree with the above poster that Simpson and Cleary should be on this list. remove the gibson bid because you aren't getting it @ 8 + it is better for lit than transactional anyway. Get rid of the Proskauer bid and throw in a bid for a Cadwalader or another NY firm with 40 so there is a higher chance you get it that low. if you really want chi over NY, consider dropping bids for cahill and maybe even lose baker mckenzie and throw in a chicago low GPA median firm in your top 6.

[Slow Your Roll]

3.7, transactional, want Chicago but open to NY. Anything stick out?

1. Sidley
2. Kirkland
3. Katten
4. Mayer
5. Latham
6. Baker & McKenzie
7. Milbank NY
8. Gibson Dunn NY
9. Weil NY
10. Paul Weiss NY
11. Greenberg
12. Morgan Lewis
13. Cahill NY
14. Davis Polk NY
15. Winston Strawn
16. Perkins Coi
17. McDermott
18. McGuire
19. Schiff
20. Drinker
21. Shearman NY
22. Proskauer NY
23. Fried Frank NY
24. Holland/Knight NY
25. Seyfarth

Depends on the year, but Kirkland, Sidley, and Latham all normally go 8 or higher. With some years that being over 10. They want around top 20 percent which doesn't leave a huge portion of the class. I would move some of the other Chicago firms with smaller class sizes way higher and move those elite firms down. For example, you'll never get Schiff or McGuire at 18/19.

[Slow Your Roll]

updating my bidlist. transfer student, 3.52 --> don't know how this would be calculated at NU but it was 20-25% at old school (T1)
all chicago unless otherwise noted; want transactional; mayer and mcdermott not on since i have interviews with them elsewhere; latham and skadden not on since it seems a waste of a bid with my gpa and i already have too many reaches in top 10

1 Baker & Mckenzie 20
2 Katten 40
3 White & Case (NY) 20
4 Proskauer (NY) 20
5 Sidley 80
6 Jones Day 40
7 Chapman 20
8 Winston 60
9 Davis Polk (NY) 20
10 Kirkland 80
11 Vedder Price 20
12 Milbank Tweed (NY) 40
13 Fried Frank (NY) 40
14 Shearman (NY) 40
15 Weil (NY) 60
16 Schiff Hardin 80
17 Paul Hastings (NY) 20
18 Simpson Thatcher (NY) 40
19 Vinson & Elkins (NY) 20
20 Schulte (NY) 20
21 Cadwalader (NY) 40
22 Paul Weiss (NY) 40
23 Kaye Scholer (NY) 20
24 Foley 20
25 Thompson Coburn 20
26 Dykema 20
27 Seward & Kissel (NY) 20
28 Wilson Sonsini (NY) 40
29 Wilkie Farr (NY) 40
30 O'Melveny (LA) 20
31 Michael Best 20
32 Pircher Nichols 20
33 Bryan Cave 20
34 Cleary (NY) 40
35 Cravath (NY) 36
36 Wilmerhale (NY) 20
37 SullCrom (NY) 40
38 Faegre (IN) 4
39 Taft 11
40 Skadden (LA) 20

i have no idea what to do with my bids 20-40 so i tried to put in unpopular/very selective/different region. i also researched pretty hard the 2014/13 threads and tried to bid accordingly. please critique hard. i don't get offended so be honest

Transfering in with a 3.52 means you should probably switch Sidley and Schiff. Your chances are too low to waist such a coveted spot on them. I'd put like Kirkland/Sidley and 10/11 and you'll likely get one or both of them without wasting such a high bid.

[Anonymous User]

Preliminary bid list. Transfer student, 3.83/4.00, top 2-3% at T2. Hoping for litigation. Want Chicago, but would go NYC over nothing. Does anyone have thoughts or advice?

1. Winston & Strawn
2. Jones Day
3. Sidley
4. Baker McKenzie
5. Kirkland
6. McGuire Woods
7. Katten
8. Greenberg
9. Vedder Price
10. Davis Polk (NY)
11. Dykema
12. Dentons
13. Skadden
14. Jenner & Block
15. McDermott
16. Reed Smith
17. Chapman
18. Latham
19. Ropes & Gray
20. Proskauer (NY)
21. Sidley (NY)
22. DLA Piper
23. Paul Hastings (NY)
24. Quarles & Brady
25. Cahill (NY)
26. Holland & Knight
27. Perkins Coie
28. Seyfarth Shaw
29. Kaye Schoeler (NY)
30. Michael Best
31. Shook hardy
32. Weil (NY)
33. Winston & Strong (NY)
34. Foley (NY)
35. Bryan Cave
36. Schulte (NY)
37. Barack
38. Skadden (NY)
39. Latham (NY)
40. ?

[Anonymous User]

3.7, transactional, want Chicago but open to NY. Anything stick out?

1. Sidley
2. Kirkland
3. Katten
4. Mayer
5. Latham
6. Baker & McKenzie
7. Milbank NY
8. Gibson Dunn NY
9. Weil NY
10. Paul Weiss NY
11. Greenberg
12. Morgan Lewis
13. Cahill NY
14. Davis Polk NY
15. Winston Strawn
16. Perkins Coi
17. McDermott
18. McGuire
19. Schiff
20. Drinker
21. Shearman NY
22. Proskauer NY
23. Fried Frank NY
24. Holland/Knight NY
25. Seyfarth

Do you already have a Skadden cb?

[Anonymous User]

Preliminary bid list. Transfer student, 3.83/4.00, top 2-3% at T2. Hoping for litigation. Want Chicago, but would go NYC over nothing. Does anyone have thoughts or advice?

1. Winston & Strawn
2. Jones Day
3. Sidley
4. Baker McKenzie
5. Kirkland
6. McGuire Woods
7. Katten
8. Greenberg
9. Vedder Price
10. Davis Polk (NY)
11. Dykema
12. Dentons
13. Skadden
14. Jenner & Block
15. McDermott
16. Reed Smith
17. Chapman
18. Latham
19. Ropes & Gray
20. Proskauer (NY)
21. Sidley (NY)
22. DLA Piper
23. Paul Hastings (NY)
24. Quarles & Brady
25. Cahill (NY)
26. Holland & Knight
27. Perkins Coie
28. Seyfarth Shaw
29. Kaye Schoeler (NY)
30. Michael Best
31. Shook hardy
32. Weil (NY)
33. Winston & Strong (NY)
34. Foley (NY)
35. Bryan Cave
36. Schulte (NY)
37. Barack
38. Skadden (NY)
39. Latham (NY)
40. ?

Like the above poster said, move Sidley and Kirkland down (you'll still get bids there), in favor of maybe a DLA or Reed Smith. You can get those two firms (with 80 slots each) much lower than 3 and 5.

[furrrman]

This may be a dumb question but is the NALP data considered accurate? Specifically I'm looking at the # of partners and associates in practice areas for different firms.

[Anonymous User]

What are considered the top 5 DC firms? Do they all come to NU?

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... sRankID=15
a&p doesnt, skadden @ 6 doesnt either for their DC office but mass mail them both.

you best be having a 3.9 (LR helpful) if you be talkin bout these firms though and that may not even be enough for the top 5 DCs.

when you bid the district of columbia, you win or you die.
-cersei lannister

The vault survey does not represent the best of anything

The Vault DC rankings is a decent proxy for the top 5 biggest DC firms.

3L working in DC Here:

For DC, I cannot emphasize enough just how irrelevant the Vault rankings should be to your decisionmaking. Unlike in NYC, where the V10 or so is largely a ranking -- by prestige-- of firms that do roughly the same thing, the Vault ranking in DC captures offices that have really, really different mixes of practices.

So for example: if you wanted to be a generalist litigator, you would not want to go to Covington, whose practice focuses overwhelmingly on insurance recovery and IP lit. If you wanted to do environmental (lit or regulatory), you would not want to go to WIlmerHale, which has like, two partners in DC doing environmental work. If you wanted to work with a serious appellate group, you would not want to go to WIlliams & Connolly, which has one partner doing appeals. If you want to do litigation that isn't white-collar, securities, or Antitrust, you should probably stay away from Latham. If you're interested in regulatory work in a particular industry or subject-matter space, be aware that every firm has strong practices before some agencies and weak practices before others.. These are all great offices, all plenty preftigious, but you will have a *very* different mix of work available to you at each one. And that mix of work, and the mix of clients, will shape your government or in-house exit options.

Most offices in DC do not offer a general, full-spectrum practice of law, or even a general, full-spectrum litigation or regulatory practice. Specialization is the name of the game, and that's something Vault just flat-out does not capture.

Thanks for this. Any insight on resources that explain what lit practices different DC firms specialize in?

Reading the partner bios for the DC office with an eye to what they really specialize in will give you a decent idea. Chambers is a pretty good resource. Honestly, though, the best way is to reach out to NU alums at those offices and get the dirt from them.

[Anonymous User]

updated bidlist. transfer student, 3.52 from earlier (transactional; all chi/nyc). took advice from everyone who gave it (thank you so f'n much btw. yall can't imagine how grateful i am)

going in, i thought i would heavily bid chicago and spray a few nyc firms in between. but the more i look at this the more nyc focused i get. nyc hires so many more people than chicago that bidding heavily chicago without a high enough gpa seems so damn risky. however, I'm really worried about how NY firms would view me since I'm a transfer from a school they don't usually hire from.

NUM FIRM SLOTS # (NALP)
1 Baker & Mckenzie (CHI) 20 14
2 Katten (CHI) 40 15
3 White & Case 20 34
4 Proskauer 20 39
5 Cahill 20 36
6 Schiff Hardin (CHI) 80 16
7 Chapman (CHI) 20 6
8 Milbank Tweed 40 43
9 Fried Frank 40 41
10 Shearman 40 54
11 Paul Weiss 40 128
12 Weil 60 46
13 Schulte 20 35
14 Wilkie Farr 40 68
15 Cadwalader 40 25
16 Simpson Thatcher 40 93
17 Seward & Kissel 20 17
18 Davis Polk 20 134
19 Cravath 36 100
20 Michael Best (CHI) 20 6

- looking at the 2013/14 threads, I feel pretty good about getting 1-9 (although which firms would be TOTAL overkill?).

- 10-16 is where I'm really worried for two reasons. 1. would i miss any if i rank them like this?; 2. do i even have a shot at getting callbacks?

- 17-20 i tried putting the more selective firms (dpw/cravath) as well as an unknown firm (best); don't know why i put seward at 17

- 21-40 what should i do here? i really want to put firms i actually have a shot at getting interviews but have no idea what strategy to use (any advice is appreciated)